Like it or not our bodies need to move. We need exercise. We need it for our health. We need it to maintain or lose weight. We need it to keep our cholesterol and blood pressure in check. We need it to fit into our favorite jeans. So, how come so many of us don't want to do it?
You'd think with all these great reasons we'd be so motivated to exercise we'd hardly be able to keep ourselves from it! The problem is that all those reasons are have to's. They are extrinsic (or external) motivators. We often think that the external rewards are going to motivate us, and they do. Just not usually for long. It's not what keeps us sticking with it and putting in the effort over time.
The real drivers for behaviors that we keep choosing to do are the intrinsic (or internal) rewards. It's how you feel when you engage in the activity. Is it interesting? Challenging? Empowering? Fun? Does it have a hook for you that isn't based on anything in the outside world? That's what you'll keep doing.
The question then is how do you find your intrinsic motivators for exercise? How do you find the "want to's"? An what if you just can't seem to find any?
The want to's of exercise can be tough to find and you may not come across them right way. When you're just starting out with an exercise program and just getting into (or back into) shape, it's really hard. Exercise can feel like torture. At the beginning you may have to rely entirely on extrinsic reasons. The have to's aren't all bad, they're just not as satisfying or sustaining. They will however get you started.
If you can stay with it long enough the intrinsic motivators will begin to emerge. Make sure to be looking for them. Cool things like a sense of accomplishment when the workout you've been doing is starting to get easier or you notice you're able to lift a little more weight. You might notice how great you feel at the end of your workouts, that sense of calm, well being and satisfaction that nothing else delivers. You start to enjoy the challenge of certain workouts. You start setting fitness goals just for fun, just to see if you can do it. You begin to appreciate that doing your workout means you've done at least one positive, productive thing that day regardless of the chaos the rest of your life may entail.
One way to help this happen is to keep looking for the workouts, the sports the physical activities that click for you. Do you like working out at home, just you and your play list or a maybe a great workout DVD? Do you enjoy the peace of going out for a run? Maybe you'd like to do a yoga class or try Pilates. Maybe you'd enjoy playing in a soccer league or training for a Tough Mudder event. There are so many options. Keep trying until you find yours. The best part of this strategy is that even if you don't like something you still get a good workout.
Even seasoned exercisers still have days when the intrinsic motivation isn't kicking in. Sometimes you'll be tired or short on time. Sometimes you just won't feel like it. Maybe you really do need a break, but most of the time you just need to go back to those extrinsic motivators. Sometimes, in order to get ourselves to move we need something chasing us. Once you do get moving you might find those internal rewards (the good stuff) starts to kick in.
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